The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) condemns the use of fake social media accounts to actively spread disinformation and attack supporters of the Philippines’ claims over the West Philippine Sea.
During the April 24 hearing of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino bared an excerpt of a contract between a certain PR agency and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, which detailed the use of “dedicated keyboard warriors” for the “overall effectiveness of the issue management project.”
PRSP is a staunch advocate of communication based on honesty and integrity. While our role is to uphold and strengthen the reputation of our clients and organizations, this is not to be done at the expense of societal good.
“We believe in the power of words and stories to shape public perception and opinion. As such, we exert utmost care and effort to ensure that we adhere to a set of ethical standards in the practice of our profession,” the organization stated.
As an organization, PRSP does not condone acts rooted in fraud and deceit. We believe that the power of communication should be harnessed for the public good and we encourage our members to honor and observe our Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for the Practice of Public Relations which contains, among others, the following:
1. Conduct our professional way of life with the interest of the public as our basic and primary guide;
2. Conduct our activities in full accordance with the accepted standards of trust, objectivity, accuracy, and good taste;
3. Uphold the rule of law and the dictates of public order, public policy, moral and good customs.
“Unfortunately, not all communication practitioners are members of our organization, and thus are not guided by a code of ethics,” they added.
PRSP urges vigilance and call on the authorities to act swiftly and decisively, ensuring a thorough investigation on cases of misinformation and disinformation that upholds the rule of law and due process.
